Question on off hand shooting.

[watto]

if I am allowed to add my thoughts to this topic.. I find offhand competition relies on the shooter having a rifle they know, but the emphasis is on shooter skills i.e hold, breathing and trigger release, not to mention the physical side of actually holdind a rifle steady.
bench shooters rely on having the highest quality of rifle to shoot consistently off the rests.
when you jump a big boar coming out of a creek at great speed and 20 feet to get a shot you will be glad you shoot offhand.
I feel offhand is skill related and bench shooting is rifle oriented. but what the hell if it feels good do it if not why not??

 

[Canuck Bob]

I agree with watto. A qualified rifleman can shoot to a deadly level accuracy in any position available to him or her.

I have no dispute with rifle matches being held from a bench or sticks or a truck hood for that matter. However one is not an accomplished shot without the ability to hit what they aim at within the scope of the mission to use military terms.

For my adult life I've hunted with peep sights and tuned rifles. I could not match my buddies on the range to shoot tiny groups from a rest against thier scoped and dialed in rifles. Offhand I could consistently shoot 6" groups at 200 meters and won many a frosty drink afterwards.

It is comforting to be able to shoulder a rifle and hit your aim point at the limit of ones vision or kill range everytime from the position offered at the time. For many of us we can say that limit is around 100 paces. The test of the best rifleman is the ability to do that offhand, everything else is practice to learn that skill in my opinion.

 

[Old Salt]

Bench ML rifle competition is an entirely different animal.

You'll find over the log and cross stick matches at many weekend shoots.

We all can't be champions. Your participation makes you a competitor. You have my respect for that.

Salt

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Excellent post! :thumbsup:

I use one of the cheapest rifles you can get, but since I KNOW what it will do, I use it to it's fullest.

One of the clubs that I belong to runs a 100 yard match where you can use crossed-sticks or lay prone on a mat, or sit, or stand. They are all scored together. Those who are very competitive have choices they can make instead of excuses. Sometimes if I'm having an "on" day, I just stand up and shoot like a man! Other days, I'm laying prone or sitting, depends upon my mood. One of our shooters is a stroke victim shooting off of his home-made bench....and he wins once in a while to boot! Nobody has any hard feelings about it, since we're all there just to HAVE FUN!

I wish more clubs could be like this one, and accommodate handicapped individuals! At another club that my son and I belong to one of the shooters had a full leg cast on her leg. We all decided to prop her up so she could shoot her rifle. She shot from the sitting position and everyone else was shooting off-hand. One guy loaded it, one guy changed the targets, another guy primed the pan, and she had a great time getting some smoke on her face! :thumbsup:

Just my 2 cents worth!

Dave

 

[PreglerD]

Here in Germany it is very common to hunt from a blind or treestand, so in many cases you have a rest and most hunters use it. Only situation is when the game doesn't move from the expected direction, then a free handed shot can be necessary. At drive hunts most shots are freehanded at close range!

Regards

Kirrmeister

 

[Poor Private]

To me if your hidden away on a prebuilt rest your more like a sniper than a hunter. It's the same to me as baiting your deer. Or going to a "deer farm" to do your hunting. It's not hunting. You might as well go to a packing plant and pull the trigger on a bolt gun to get your cow for the season.
Next if your firing from a rest, setting up on a tripod, dialing it in from the left then the right, twisting that knob for higher or lower elevation your more of a technician than a shooter. Is your score really you or is it how you dial it in?
It's all right to dial in your gun from a rest to find its point of aim, so that you you can set your sights.
Take advantage of your surroundings, I use that branch, or that fork in the tree, that hollow in the ground but I don't depend upon it. Not all your game will come down that trail you picked out a week previously at 7:25am from the east and heading west.
Thats why I like to take woods walks through ranges that the target is not setup at a predetermind location week after week, and there are no static stands with prebuilt rests.
But others mileage may vary-thats just me. In the final analysis at least you are out and about shooting your gun of whatever type.

 

[mr.flintlock]

For years I hunted from a homemade Baker style tree climber stand. On this ancient style of climber there was no foot rest or anything to use as a rest for my rifle. I normaly shoot right handed. I brace my left elbow into my rib cage and lay my left hand out flat with my rifle laid across it close to the triggerguard. This gives me a rock solid rest for my rifle. I also use this method when standing at the shooting range.

 

[MikeC]

See you this Sunday at Cherry Ridge??

Dave

I'll be there unless something major comes up, was looking forward to the last shoot, dam snow. I was planning on attending the meeting but decided to take my daughter and her friend to the batting cages.

 

[MikeChapin]

...

Another why? It seems like most matches require off hand shooting.Anyone know why? I don't think our forefathers would have shot off hand unless it was a have to case. I understand shooting a fowler off hand at birds or even rabbit or squirrels, but why so much emphasis on off hand shooting matches? :idunno:

In answer to your first question, I very rarely will shoot at an animal offhand. These usually are special circumstances when both of us are surprised. I generally always go for a rest.

As far as competition goes, offhand shooting is a skill that requires practice in stance, breath control and follow through. Most matches are done offhand.

The same goes for BP pistol shooting. Most matches are single hand hold whether it is paper or novelty. I don't know of anyone who shoots a pistol with a single hand anymore except in BP matches. As with rifles, a single hand hold takes a specific set of skills. A good single hand shooter will shoot a weaver stance even better.

Out here we have separate matches for cross sticks. Some clubs also have bench shooting reentry matches. We also have a state bench shooting match separate from the state shoot. One club has a mixed match. It is a Fleur-De-Lac target shot at 50 yards. You can shoot the two small top targets from the bench or cross sticks if you want.

We don't have any over the log shoots out here but they are big back east.

Over the years we have had people shoot from wheelchairs or some other accommodation for a handicap. We used to have one fellow who only had part of his left forearm. He didn't get any special favors. He shot a Seneca .45 and could do a speed loading event as fast as anyone. He even won it a few times.

You should work through your club to get different events going.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

:thumbsup: See you then!

And bring the kid too! I have an extra rifle if you need one!

Dave

 

[smo]

Thanks for all the replies Guys, The club i shoot at doesn't have many members,but has some very good marksmen. I am the only shooter with the exception of one match in the last year that shoots from the bench.I compete against myself and try to top the best previous score that i've shot. I just completed a perc pistol kit and plan to get into some of the pistol matches with the guys at the club,and i'm still trying to get the back to cooperate so i can hold out to compete off hand again. :wink: Maybe what i need is a new rifle? something with a .54 cal swampped barrel,well balanced with nice thin lines. :hmm:

 

[hanshi]

IMHO if one is a hunter one owes that game animal a quick and humane demise. Anything-kneeling, sticks, tree brace, homemade rest, etc-that enables one to be an ethical/humane killer of a game animal, not only can, but should be used in every case. Trying to be a "man" or showing what a great shot one may be or "handicapping" oneself is irresponsible and unethical. If a handicap is desired, well, that's why we use flintlocks. One can even go to a matchlock or handgun but even then the best, most stable resting of the gun is mandatory.

No ethical hunter wants to risk wounding an animal only to have it escape and die a painful, lingering death. As sportsmen we must take the responsibility of ethical, humane hunting very seriously. This means taking the best, surest shot we can get and passing up those that are questionable.

 

[MikeC]

:thumbsup: See you then!

And bring the kid too! I have an extra rifle if you need one!

Dave

Thanks Dave. This time of year it's all about getting ready for softball. She comes to the range with me but only likes to shot .22's. Hey I'll take what I can get.

 

[nkbj]

Yall have reminded me that I's supposed to go cut a sappling and let it cure.

 

[rabjr]

IMHO if one is a hunter one owes that game animal a quick and humane demise. Anything-kneeling, sticks, tree brace, homemade rest, etc-that enables one to be an ethical/humane killer of a game animal, not only can, but should be used in every case. Trying to be a "man" or showing what a great shot one may be or "handicapping" oneself is irresponsible and unethical. If a handicap is desired, well, that's why we use flintlocks. One can even go to a matchlock or handgun but even then the best, most stable resting of the gun is mandatory.

No ethical hunter wants to risk wounding an animal only to have it escape and die a painful, lingering death. As sportsmen we must take the responsibility of ethical, humane hunting very seriously. This means taking the best, surest shot we can get and passing up those that are questionable.

Damn right, thats why I don't shoot with or without a rest unless I know I'll kill the animal. The few shots where I switched hands and shot off hand with the opposite hand I don't think I've shot over 40 yards and knew the animal was dead when I shot. Then again I can out shoot most people I know. Not bragging, just a fact. I might not get to the range like I once did but I sure made up for it in the 80's and 90's.

 

[smoothy]

Sighting in I use a bench rest to know where the gun is hitting and to remove most of the operator error. (Sighting in when something like patch material, ball size, etc is changed.) Then all my practicing is offhand. When in the field I'll use any rest of sorts, but don't depend on them.

 

[oletymepreacher]

Most of my game shots have been offhand, mainly because my style of hunting is sneaking through the woods on game trails where an encounter may be quick. When practicing at home, I use a shot timer, shooting less than 3 seconds at any range from 30 yards to 100 yards. All the elk I have killed were one shot kills, max yards 75, min yards 10. Deer, same story, except for one really long range shot when I was sitting, using knees for support. Antelope, only one shot/kill offhand at 20 feet, the rest were resting shots, mostly sitting with both knees for support. Long range, you know. The only time I use my bench at home is to sight in a rifle with a new load. All other practice is from field positions, sitting, kneeling, prone, offhand. Before hunting season, starting in May, I try to get in 8 shots/ day from varying range, all offhand as it is the most difficult. Have never lost or missed offhand shots at game. There is something to be said about practice. If I ever thought to hunt from a blind, I would practice with some kind of rest. But, I admit to not having the patience to wait all day in a blind hoping for something to show up, and have admiration for those that do. Never have entertained the idea of climbing a tree.

 

[jethro224]

I do 99% of my hunting from the ground nowdays. Mostly sitting with some sneaking thrown in between sits. Used to deer hunt from trees with CF shotgun before I saw the light and came to the dark side.
While I will not hesitate to use a rest if there is one available and I have time to take advantage of it, I have also taken many offhand, and "other", shots. Sometimes I get surprised by deer that suddenly are there, when and/or where I don't expect them. Rested, offhand, other, :idunno: if the shot feels right I'll take it.
I'll just say that I have killed deer from some strange positions...

 

[rabjr]

I do 99% of my hunting from the ground nowdays. Mostly sitting with some sneaking thrown in between sits. Used to deer hunt from trees with CF shotgun before I saw the light and came to the dark side.
While I will not hesitate to use a rest if there is one available and I have time to take advantage of it, I have also taken many offhand, and "other", shots. Sometimes I get surprised by deer that suddenly are there, when and/or where I don't expect them. Rested, offhand, other, :idunno: if the shot feels right I'll take it.
I'll just say that I have killed deer from some strange positions...

:shocked2:

 

[mingo]

I like the bench for sighting.

Off hand or kneeling, or even a convenient rest are tests of the shooter's ability.

Shooting game requires a very efficient condition, rest of some sort being the best.

It's all fun!